Artificial cane-making apparatus



Dec. 18, 1928. 1,695,622

A. J. wAcHsMuTH ARTIFICIAL CANE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 124 6 Sheets-sheet 1 M (WWW 5 wachsmflih (\Womeg Dec. 18, 1928.

A. J. WACHSMUTH ARTIFICIAL CANE MAKING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 AWN if:

Filed Jan. 21, 1

Dec. 18, 1928.

A. J. WACHSMUTH ARTIFICIAL. CANE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inuemofi mbarilwachsmu Dec. 18, 1928.

A. J. WACHSMUTH ARTIFICIAL CANE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1924 6 Sheets-sheet 4 Inuemor (-bari Jwochsmuih :5 f

Anovnegf ARTIFICIAL CANE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 r m f uL 'g l hj Inuenfov (barf Jwaehsmum- Dec. 18, 1928.

A. J. WACHSMUTH ARTIFICIAL CANE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 InuelWoI' B mbarflmochsmuflx FM x- Patented needs, 192s.

UNITED- STATES.

. ALBERT-5'. wacnsmu'rnfor MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

Ann-roux.- CANE-MAKING arrana'ru's.

Application filed January 21, 1924. Serial No. 657,467.

e This invention relatesto an apparatusfor the production of artificial cane, the same being made from paper in substantial accord with the method disclosed in my pending application for. patent, Ser. No. 476,984, filed June 13, 1921. The present invention is concerned with an apparatus by means of which the artificial cane made from paper may be very rapidly and economically produced and consists in'many novel features of construction and-combinations and arrangements of parts for the effective attainment of the ends stated.

For anunderstanding, of the invention reference may be had to the following description taken in comic :tion with the accom panying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one end portion of the machine or apparatus. a

Fig. 2 is a like view of the other end portion thereof, said machine or apparatus being shown on the two sheets of drawings in front elevation on account of lack of space to properly show the same on one sheet.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the progress of the paper through the front half of the machine and the various steps of folding thereof.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views of the several guides and'folding dies used in the machine.

Fig'. 8 is an elevation of oneof the cane pressure roller units used to compress the cane to finished form after the paper has been properly folded, looking as indicated from line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section. through the lower roller carrying member of said unit.

Fig. 10. is a fragmentary elevation of a part of the machine as it appears lookingin the direction indicated by the arrow from the plane of line 101O of Fig. 1;

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary enlarged vertical sections of the first and second pairs of creasing rollers or dies in the machine.

Fig. 13 is an elevation of that part of the machine appearing on looking in the direction indicated by the arrow on the plane of line 13-13, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the pair of creasing rollers or dies shown in Fig.13.

.Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section ill'ustrat-' ing the holding ratchet and dog construction forming oneelement of the mechanism shown in Fig. 13.

'Fig 19 is an elevation looking in the direction indicated from the plane of the line 16-16, of Fig. 2, .parts being shown in section for better disclosure.

17 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section of the cane pressure rollers shown I in Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a plan of the loWerof two guide blocks used in guiding the cane into certain of the roller pressure units of the machine.

-Fig. 19 is an elevation of the guide blocks.

Fig. 20 is a partial side elevation and longitudinal section of the apparatus used for applying adhesive to the paper prior to its being made into cane in the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 19 inclusive.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the first of i the adhesive scraping devices used in the apparatus shown in Fig. 20.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the second of said adhesive scraping devices.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction of the apparatus used for producing the artificial cane from paper, an elongated supporting'frame is provided including horizontal table 1 carried by a plurality of spaced apart vertical standards 2, the table extending the full'len'gth of the machine. At the front end of the table, two roll- ,ers 3 are mounted one ahead of the other and carriedby posts 4, the rollers having intles 5 at their ends received in suitable soc zets or bearings 6 formed at the upper ends of'the posts, as shown in Fig. 1. On the rollers 3 rolls of paper are wound, having first been thoroughly impregnated with adhesive, the process of which will be later described. The paper is in the form of relatively narrow strips 7 and in the making of the cane, the paper is led from each roll to a channel-like guide 8 suitably mounted on a post 9 projecting upwardly from the table, one strip of paper 7 lying against the other and being guided in such superposed relation through the guide 8 to the first pair of creasing rollers or dies 10 and 11.

The roller or die 10 is located below the roller 11 and is formed with a V -shaped annular groove around it. Roller 11 is shaped to fit the groove in the .lower roller 10 and at its intermediate portion has a. shallow recess 12 cut around it so that when the two rollers are brought together a V-shaped opening is left into which the two thicknesses of paper 7 may be passed, the paper being creased lon-- v gitudinally midway between i ts ed es into V shape, this being shown at A in ig. 3 and being the first operation toward folding the paper into a plurality of lai'ninations.

The roller or die 10 is secured on a shaft 13 and the roller or die 11 on a parallel shaft 14. The ends of shaft- 13 are mounted in bearings formed on members 16, each of which in addition to the horizontal part for supporting an end of the shaft 13 has a vertical sleeve portion through which a rod or post 17 passes, there being two of said posts spaced apart and supported by the table 1. The sleeve portions of members 16 rest on collars 18 which may be adjustably secured to the posts 17 by set screws, as shown in Fig. 10. The up )er shaft 14 is mounted at its ends in mem ers 19 similar in construction to the members 16 and also loosely mounted on the posts 17. Above each member 19 a collar 20 is adjustably secured by means of set screws, and coiled springs under compression are located around the posts 17 between the collars 20 and the members 19, as indicated at 21. The springs serve to yieldingly hold the roller 11 in engagement with the roller 10. By releasing the upper col lars 20, the upper roller may be raised as may be required when the machine is to be started in operation by first passing the ends of the strips of paper 7 between the creasing rollers or dies.

After the two strips of paper in creased V-shape leave the rollers 10 and 11 they pass to a folding die, indicated as a whole by reference character 22. At its front end it is of V shape, at 23 (see Fig. 5), is then turned substantially a quarter turn, as at 24 and the sides thereof brought substantially parallel and into horizontal position, as at 25. The two thicknesses of paper are thus doubled into four thicknesses and again lie in a horizontal plane the same as the two'thicknesses did in the beginning. This step of the process is indicated at B in Fig. 3. The folding die 22 is carried on a suitable block 26 mounted on a post 27, in turn carried by and projecting upwardly from the table 1. The supports for the folding die 22 and the guide 8 are mounted for adjustment to different positions on the posts 27 and 9, respectively, but the specific means of adjustment is not particularly essential to the invention and is not specifically shown and described.

From the folding die 22, the folded paper passes to a second pair of creasing rollers or dies 10 and 11 mounted on posts 28 in the same manner that the rollers 10 and 11 are mounted on the posts 17. The roller 10 identical in construction with roller 10 and roller 11 differs from roller 11 in that the annular recess 12 therein is substantially twice as deep and but half as wide, as shown in Fig. 12, this being so on account of the doubling of the paper, reducing the width one half and obvious.

The paper passes through the second creasing rollers or dies 11" and 10 and leaves the same creased into V shape, as indicated at C, Fig. 3. It then passes through a folding die 29, at its front end of V-shape, as at 30 (Fig. 6), the sides of the die gradually approaching each other until a substantially vertical and parallel, as at 31. Th paper is now folded into eight lal'ninations lying substantially vertical as at D, Fig. 3.

The folded paper is passed through a third pair of creasing rollers or dies in the next step of the operation, passing from the die 29 which is carried by a member 32 on a post 33 to said dies which are carried on an upright 34 mounted on the table 1. At its upper end said upright is vertically slotted at 34' (Fig. 13) and a bar 35 is mounted horizontally by means of any suitable connecting means passing through the slot so that there is a limited range of vertical adjustment. At one end of the bar a roller die 36 similar in form but smaller than the rollers 10 or 10 is rotatably mounted between cars 37 on the bar to turn about a vertical axis. A second bar 38 is slidably mounted on the face of bar 35 and at one end is provided with ears 39 between which a roller die 40 is mounted to coact with the roller 36 and having similar shape to the rollers 11 and 11 the annular groove or recess 41 around the same being deepened and shortened on account of the second folding of the paper going to make up the cane.

At the opposite end of the bar 38 a block 42 extends outward and at the end of the bar 35 opposite to that at which the roller 36 is mounted a block 43 extends parallel to block 42. A sleeve 44 is slidably mounted in the block 43 and formed with an upwardly extending bar portion 45 at its upper edge having rack teeth out therein. A rod passes freely through the block 42, as indicated at 46 and at its end nearest the roller die 40 has a collar 47 secured thereto, at its other end passing throughthe sleeve 44 and secured to said sleeve, a coiled compression spring 48 being located around the rod between the sleeve 44 and block 42, the normal tendency of which is to force roller 40 against the roller 36. A handle 49 is formed at one end with a pinion sector 50 to mesh with the rack on part 45 and at a side of the pinion a ratchet wheel 51 is located, being secured to or formed with the pinion 50 to move therewith, both being mounted on a pin 52 attached to a stadoubling the thickness, as is tionary member 53 located above and connected to the part 43, as shown in Fig. 1. A dog 54 pivotally mounted on a bar 55 connected to the bar 35 (see Fig. 15) engages with the ratchet wheel to hold it in any position to which moved by the handle. It is evident that the rollers 36 and 40 may be separated and held in separated position by manually operating the handle 49, the collar 47 coming against the block 42 and moving the same and attached bar 38 carrying the roller 40. This is desirable when the material is first introduced between the dies 36 and 40.

The paper folded in eight laminations, after passing through the rollers 36 and 40 is again creased longitudinally into V-shape with the V turned from vertical to horizontal position, as indicated at E, Fig. 3 and passes into a die 56 grooved lengthwise in one side, the groove gradually narrowing and deepening from the front to the back ends so that the creased paper which is approaching the cane form is again doubled, leaving the die: folded again, as indicated at F, Fig. 3. This die is carried on a member 57 adjustably supported on a post 58 as shown in Fig. 1. This is the last folding operationandwhen. the paper leaves the die 56 it is ready to be compressed into finished form. There are approximately sixteen thicknesses of paper and the same are securely cemented together by compression in conjunction with the adhesive with which the paper is first impregnated prior to folding it into shape for compres- SlOIl.

When the material leaves the die 56 it passes to two rollers 59 and 60 located the one below the other and between two side posts 61 attached to the table 1, forming the sides of a frame which is completed by an upper cross bar 62 (see Fig. 16). The lower roller is fixed on a horizontal shaft 63 which is extended at one end a considerable distance beyond the adjacent frame member 61 The upper end portions of the sides 61 are vertically slotted at 64: (see Fig. 2) and in each slot a block 65 is slidably mounted, the shaft 66 on which the upper roller 60 is mounted being carried bysaid blocks. Blocks 65 rest on springs 67 which in turn bear against the lowerends of the slots 64. A bar 68 connects the blocks 65 at their upper ends and on the upper side of this bar a cup-like member 69 of sheet metal issecured in which a strong coiled spring 7 O is seated, a second inverted cup-like member covering the spring and telescoping over the member 69. A bar 72 is located above the bar 68 parallel thereto, at its ends being guided in slots 64. A handle member 7 3 is pivotally mounted on the bar 72, at its lower end being provided with an eccentric or cam shaped head 74, whereby by operating the handle, bar 68 may be forced downwardly by the increased pressure imparted to spring 70, the bar 72 being held from upward movement by its bearing at its.

ends against'screws 75 passing through the ends of the bar 62, said screws being adjustable to change the position of the bar 72 and vary the pressure ofthe upper roller against the lower roller or against the cane passing between them. A gear 7 6 on shaft 63 drives a like gear 77 on the shaft 66, the shaft 63 being driven in a manner hereafter described.

the pressing action of the spring 70 combined with the weight of the roller 60, its shaft and,

the gear 77, and the blocks 65.

After passing through and being acted upon by the rollers 59 and 60, the cane is passed to a second pair of cane pressing rollers, the upper one of which, indicated at 80 has an annular rib 81 around the same, and is mounted on a stud shaft 82 mounted in a hearing 83 at the upper end of a supporting post 84 supported on the table 1. The lower roller 85 is smaller in diameter and has an annular groove 86 therein into which the rib 81 is adapted to enter. Roller 85 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 87 at the upper end of a member 88 mounted for vertical sliding movements in a housing support 89. The lower end of the member 88 bears against an eccentric 90 on a short shaft 91 mounted horizontally in andextending through a side of the support 89, at its outer end having an operating handle 92 fixed thereon, it being apparent that the roller 85 may beraised or lowered by operating the handle. 92 for entrance of the cane between the rollers and for increasing or decreasing the pressure of the rib against the cane. The rollers 80 and 85 are idle rollers and are turned only by the frictional contact of the cane with the same against the rib 81 and against the bottom and sides of the groove 86.

The canefrom the second pair of rollers 80 and 85 passes to ath-ird pair of rollers 59 and 60 and then through a fourth pair of pressing rollers 59" and 60", identical in all respects with the rollers 59 and 60 heretofore described. The rollers 60* and 60 areformed with annular ribs 7 9" and 79) and are mountedin frames having side members 61 and 61 respectively, the structure of-the frames being identical, with that of the frame supporting the rollers 59 and 60 in all particulars except that the cane is guided'to the rollers through lower and upper guide blocks 93 and 94 which are mounted on a supporting shelf 95 to lie in front of each pair of rollers. The lower guide block 93 has a guide groove 96 therein for the passage of the cane, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19. The roller 59 is mounted on a short shaft 97 and the roller 60 'ona similar shaft 98, these shafts being like shafts 63 and 66 in so fa r as mounting of the same is concerned but mounted for idle movements, not being driven in any way, the rollers turning from friction of the cane in passing thereagainst. The shafts 63 and 66 on which rollers 59 'and 60 are mounted are duplicates of the shafts 63 and 66 and driven in the same manner, later to be described, the rollers 59 and 60 and the rollers 59" and 60* being positively driven and serving to draw the paper through the different creasing and folding dies in the first instance. and then through the idle pressing rollers so as to deliver the finished cane back of the last rollers to a winding drum 99, shown in Fig. The winding mechanism associated with the drum 99 is separate and distinct from the cane producing portion of the machine, and is not disclosed.

Shafts 63 and 63" are positively driven shafts and each extends outwardly a distance and through a sleeve 100 at one end of which a chain wheel 101 is formed, a disk 102 forming a member of a friction clutch being at the other end of the sleeve. Sleeve 100 is rotat ably mounted'in a bearing 103 at the upper end of a short post 104. A second disk 105 to bear against the disk 102 is located on the projecting end portion of shaft 63, said disk having a hub 106 in which a slot is made, a pin 107 passing through the shaft and the slot whereby the driving of the shaft is through rotation of the disk induced by the. frictional engagement of the disk 102 with said disk 105. A collar 108 is secured at the end of shaft 63 and a coiled spring 109 under compression is located around the shaft between the collar and the end of hub 106 to normally force disk 105 into engagement with the disk 102. This construction is disclosed in Fig. 16, as applied to shaft 63, and the same driving mechanism is used to drive the shaft 63 in the same manner.

A drive chain 110 passes around the chain wheel 101, and a like chain 110 around the similar chain wheel on the shaft 63 (see Fig. 2). An electric motor 111 supported on a platform 112 below the table 1 drives a chain of reduction gearing, indicated as a whole at 113 to eventually drive shaft 114 at reduced speed, it in turn driving chain 115' and chain 110".v The chain 115 )asses around a suitable chain wheel on a sha. t 116 located below and back of the shaft 63 in substantially the same relation that shaft 114 occupies to shaft 63". said shaft 116 being carried 1n a suitable bearing on the support 117. It is evident that the two shafts 63 and 63 are driven in unison. The friction clutch driving connection described to compensate for any small discrepancies in the cane or other small irregularities whereby the first and last pairs of pressing rollers may notbe in exact unison at all times.

The paper strips 7, two in number are properly folded to get the required number of laminations of paper and the proper form and thickness to the cane in the successive folding and creasing dies and with its passage through the four pairs of pressing rollers, the laminations of paper are pressed together and the adhesive impregnating the same is spread evenly and homogeneously throughout the paper and fibers thereof, so that a cane is produced which has no strata or likely planes of separation, the finished product wound on the winding roller 99 being complete in every particular. The various rollers, both paper creasing and presser rollers are readily separable for the introduction of the material therethrough, and the degree of pressure in all cases is subject to selective variation, as may be required under different and varying conditions of Working. The paper from the rollers 3 on which it is wound is taken off rapidly and passed through the apparatus with considerable speed so that a large quantity of the cane may be produced on a. single. machine. The machine has been practically proved and demonstrated and is satisfactory in all respects. As a preliminary to manufacturing the cane from the paper, the strips 7 are impregnated with an adhesive. The apparatus for accomplishing this is shown in Figs. 20 to 22 inclusive. The plain paper is wound on a drum 118, mounted for rotation in bearings on supports 119, and after the adhesive is applied it is wound on a drum 120 supported on posts 121 which is driven by a belt 122 around a wheel 123 on the shaft on which the drum is mounted. Between the drums a tank or other receptacle for containing liquid adhesive is placed, as shown at 124, its end adjacent the drum 118 having two spaced apart posts 125 extending upwardly, vertically slotted downward from their upper ends with rollers 126 on shafts 127 being located between the posts, the ends of the shafts being received in the slots in the posts. The strip 7. passes between the rollers being drawn therebetween and is then carried downwardly through the liquid to under a roller 130 on a shaft 131 which is located at the lower portion of a frame 129 mounted for sliding movements in channel guides 128 located between the ends of the tank 124, the weight of the frame and roller serving to keep the paper immersed at all times as it passes through the machine.

On a plate 128 disposed between and carried by the channel guides 128, two members 132 are carried in spaced apart relation, each being made from. flat bar metal and shaped 'into guides and supports for two blocks 134 and 135, the adjacent edges of which are provided with rubber members 136 fixed thereto. These members 136 are held in contact by rubber bands 137 stretched over the blocks 134 and 135, as shown in Fig. 21, the bands under tension serving to press the III.

members 136 against each other and against opposite sides of the piper 7 when it is drawn therebetween. c said blocks and members 136 attached thereto are located 8 above the level of the llltlld' adhesive and when the paper is drawn ctween the same, the major portion of the adhesive on the sides of the paper is scraped off. After pass- 10 passes Fi s. and 22, it being evident that the me inbers 138 are held from rotation and act as scrapers against opposite sides of the paper, any freeliquid adhesive remaining after passage by the members 136 being removed.

lVhen the paper comes to the drum-120 it is dry, the adhesive taken up by the paper being disseminated.throughout the Paper and thoroughly impregnating the same. This action is aided by heating the liquid adhesive, the tank being constructed to permit the passage of a heating fluid around the inner adhesive holding portion. The adhesive penetrates the paper quickly, and being scraped off as to the excess not absorbed in the paper, the rolls wound on drum 120 are substantially dry, the successive layers of paper in a roll not adhering when unwound in the process of making the cane. At the same time, the paper treated with the alhesive does not have to be immediately used, but can be stored for future use. In fact it is necessary to let the adhesive treated paper stand for a period of time for the best quality of cane.

The pressure imparted to the cane by the several pressing rollers has the effect of forcing some of the adhesive from the impregnated paper laminations, causin a firm adherence of the same, it being evi cut that the cane produced is, in effect, a solid homogenous mass of paper fiber and does not have strata liable to separation. The apparatus is especially practical for lar e quantity production of the cane, and t e product produced is very strong and durable.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a paper drawing and pressing unit, comprising a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted thereon, a roller mounted on the shaft, blocks slidably mounted on the frame, a shaft supported by the blocks paralleling the first shaft, a second roller on the second shaft, one of said rollers having an annular groove therein and the other an annular rib projecting therefrom to enterthe groove, springs acting on the blocks to normally move the same an shaft carried thereby away from the first shaft, and means for forcing'the said second shaft and roller thereon toward the first shaft and its roller against said springs, substantially as described.

2. machine for making artificial cane comprising, means for introducing a relatively narrow aper strip into the machine, a pair of rollers etween which the strip passes, one roller havm a V groove in its periphevv and the other avinga corresponding shaped periphery, a stationary die through which the strip passes having a V-shaped en'- try end and a fiat exit end to fold the strip from V-shape to flat shape and means for drawing the strip through the machine comprising two driven rollers between which the strip passes, the members being located in the machme and acting ,upon the strip in the order named. 7 f

3. A machine for making artificial cane I comprising, means for introducing a relatlvely narrow paper strip into the machine, a pair of rollers between which the strip passes, one roller having a V-groove in its periphery and the other having a corresponding V-shaped periphery, a stationary die through which the. strip passes having a V- shaped entry end and a flat exit end to fold the strip from V-shape to flat shape and means' for drawing the strip through the machine comprising two driven rollers, one

having an annular groove with a concave bottom and the other having an annular rib to enter said groove and press the folded strip against the concave bottom thereof, said members being located in the machine and acting upon the strip in the order named.

4. A machine for making artificial cane from a relatively narrow strip of paper comprising a plurality of pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair having a V-groove in its periphery and the other roller of each pair having a corresponding .V-shaped periphery whereby the strip is folded into V shape as it passes between them, a fixed die located adjacent each pair of rollers through which the strip passes, each die being shaped to receive the V-shaped strip and to complete the fold thereof and means for drawing the strip throu h the machine comprising two driven roller: between which the folded strip passes.

5. A machine for making artificial cane from a relatively narrow strip of paper comprising a plurality of pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair having a V-groove in its periphery and the other roller of each pair comprising, means to guide a relatively narrow strip of paper into the machine in a horizontal plane, a pair of rollers rotatable onhorizontal axes between which the strip passes, one roller having a V-groove in its periphery and the other roller having a corresponding V-shaped periphery, a fixed die having a V-shaped entry end and a fiat shaped exit end arranged in a horizontalplane, a second pair of rollers rotatable on horizontal axes between which the strip passes one roller having an annular V-groove in its periphery and the other roller having a corresponding V-shaped periphery, a second fixed die through which the strip passes, said seconddie having a V-shaped entry end and a flat shaped exit end arranged in a vertical plane, a third pair of rollers rotatableon vertical axes between which the strip passes, one of said rollers having a V-groove in its periphery and the other roller having a corresponding V-shaped periphery, a third fixed die through which the strip passes, said die having' a relatively open entry end and a relatively closed fiat exit end arranged in a horizontal plane and means for drawing thestripthrough the machineacomprising a pair of driven rollers between which the strip passes,

one of said rollers having an annular groove.

with a concave bottom and the other roller having an annular tongue adapted to enter ALBERT J. WACHSMUTH. 

